2010-08-11, 21:47 | Link #1 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2003
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Any romance where the girl carries deep scars?
I'm looking for some romance works where the girl has been through some real, very serious trauma. Stuff where she'd been abused, assaulted, raped, betrayed, or otherwise hurt, or where her past self and past actions hold an equal level of pain for her, leaving the girl fragile, brittle, and defensive. A past full of regret is also good. Bonus if the trauma leaves her with a sense of shame or guilt, so that in her eyes she does not deserve to be loved. The sort of thing where the man has to struggle to accept everything she's carrying, and to convince her to let him do so.
18+ or even pure hentai anime/manga are OK, so long as the H material is a legitimate and meaningful part of the story; for instance, to show the things the girl has experienced or is experiencing that hurt her so bad, or to show just what she'd been or done in the past that fills her with shame. The new anime Ookami-san seems to fit this. Spoiler:
Another where the girl's experience is severe and traumatic is the manga "Life", where as I've heard a popular boy in school repeatedly rapes and abuses the main girl but no one is willing to believe it, even her own family. Just three restrictions: This should be a romance or contain romance as a major aspect of the plot. Some reasonable limit to the brutality shown, meaning not too much blood etc. No suicide, I don't want a story that ends with the girl deciding to end the pain by ending it all. |
2010-08-11, 22:08 | Link #3 |
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Xanadu
Age: 29
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Hmm that is a very descriptive view of what you want to see, and I was going to suggest one anime but after reading (Some reasonable limit to the brutality shown) made that anime go bye bye.
There are many animes that I've seen that the "man" carries deep scars, not the women, so sorry for not being much help, but I'm sure someone will find the exact one your looking for Just alone the (Some reasonable limit to the brutality shown) kills many anime choices I had in mind |
2010-08-11, 22:23 | Link #6 |
You're Hot, Cupcake
Join Date: Aug 2008
Age: 42
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Manga suggestions:
The 2nd half of the Genshiken manga deals with that. Ogiue is very anti-social and scarred. She's got some baggage which she's struggling to overcome. Sasahara ends up being the unlikely guy for her. Don't watch the anime version 2nd season at all - it completely skipped over this. There were three mini stories within Confidential Confessions that would qualify. Volume 1, 2nd story - A teen girl who had a crap upbringing ends up as a prostitute. A street performer she meets one night makes her want to change. Volume 5, 1st story - The female lead is raped by random thugs. She tries to cut all ties with her former life, including her boyfriend. But he's willing to stay with her despite it all. Volume 6, 1st story - The female lead has an obsessive ex-boyfriend, which goes to gradually more sinister levels of obsession. She and her current boyfriend struggle to overcome it. In addition, the 2nd volume was solely about a teen female tennis player who had a tennis coach that abused his students, but there was no romance in that volume. Volume 4 had a female-female relationship where one of them was abused by her father and the two struggled to overcome it. But those ones might not be what you're looking for. Anime/Manga: The josei series NANA may also qualify since it is primarily romance focused and one of the two female leads, Nana K/Hachi, has crap boyfriend after crap boyfriend. (The author herself had an abusive husband and based the series on her experiences.) Although in this one, it's more about struggling to find her way and herself via her own means as well as her best friend, Nana (female), rather than relying on a male to do so. But it may still be worth your while. Anime: Soukou no Strain may also qualify. The female leads watches all her friends, including her boyfriend, be murdered in the first episode - by her brother. She then joins the military to hunt him down. This one involves mechas a bit and isn't the best thing ever, but most people enjoy the series for the female lead gradually winning the struggle to overcome her past and eventually find peace and love. May be worth your while.
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2010-08-11, 22:31 | Link #7 | |
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2010-08-12, 03:26 | Link #13 |
Yuri µ'serator
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: FL, USA
Age: 36
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Maybe Air though the scar is very deep, it's for a different reason than you asked, and I'd rather avoid putting spoilers here.
Edit: Also Bakemonogatari fit somewhat well too, given Hitagi's past.
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2010-08-12, 03:34 | Link #15 | |
Beautiful fighter.
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: England, UK
Age: 37
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The manga Cat Street fit's a few of the themes you're looking for in a series.
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Last edited by Shiroth; 2010-08-12 at 03:58. |
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2010-08-12, 04:48 | Link #16 | |
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Join Date: Nov 2003
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Quote:
For instance, I once downloaded a manga out of curiosity, and found that the description was very conservative; the main character was apparently able to quicly heal from any wound, up to and including decapitation, and as a result predators let loose completely. That was very unreasonable, and once I glanced through it I deleted it. |
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2010-08-12, 04:54 | Link #17 | |
~Official Slacker~
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Join Date: Aug 2010
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Spoiler for Blood+:
If this doesn't fit your description, then sorry for mis-leading. |
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2010-08-12, 07:03 | Link #18 |
Kouta...
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: England
Age: 29
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I would reccomend Ef: A tale of memories, and She, the ultimate weapon. However in She, the ultimate weapon, the girl starts normal and the something happens to her. so slightly different. beware though. It's a sad anime
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2010-08-12, 17:45 | Link #19 |
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Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Academy City
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I second Bakemonogatari and ef - a tale of memories. No, actually, the second season ef - a tale of melodies fits your requirements more, but the first season also has a pretty tragic main heroine because of her condition. Both are good.
If you don't mind shounen-ai/fantasy and Ritsuka being a boy then Loveless. If you can stand a lot of blood and gore then Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (one character in particular). If you don't mind the predictable mahou shoujo elements at the beginning and watch at least up to the great middle/end and the spectacular second season, then Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha. The fights and system of magic weapons used are excellent as well. Shigofumi: Letters from the Departed has quite a unique one. It starts off a bit episodic but then delves into Fumika's past, which is quite well written out.
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2010-08-13, 01:38 | Link #20 |
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Join Date: Dec 2005
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Mars Mars is an amazing manga. Kira was raped by her stepfather when she was a teenager. Kira is dating Rei, who is very sexually active. During Kira and Rei's first year of dating, whenever Rei feels her up or tries to do more than kissing, Kira pulls back and panics and Rei doesn't know why. Eventually, Rei figures it out and confronts Kira. Kira's stepfather returns and Kira moves in with Rei and they are able to have sex and live together while having a sexual relationship and Kira's scars of her rape are healed through her relationship with Rei.
Mars is an epic, amazing romance manga you must read. |
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